It's now 2010 and Moz's deterioration has been steady and depressing. Musically, he hasn't released anything great since 'You Are The Quarry'. When I heard the recent 'This Charming Man' cover with his band-I genuinely had to turn it off. God knows what Johnny Marr must have thought when he heard it. What a tragic decision, and one rooted in his failures.
Morrissey has been in the press quite a bit recently....what with his very 'controversial' comments about the Chinese. I wish I didn't feel that he chose his words extremely carefully, to make the most impact. His sole aim these days seems to be to make the front page of the guardian music section, with hundreds commenting. Oh, and it's all around the time of his 67th re-release of 'Everyday is like Sunday'. I mean I'm sure he does feel passionately about animal rights...and 'Meat is Murder' influenced countless people to become vegetarians....it just seems that it's all for effect these days, when years ago it was about being distant from the press and standing up for the isolated.
A Morrissey autobiography? Really? Surely not? Obviously I'll read it...but really? It can't be. I love the fact that the only words from the man himself that I own, are in his records. I don't want to hear anything about his private life...it'll take away whatever of his 'cool-ness' that I've clung onto. Isn't Morrissey always telling us how private he is by how little he gives away? I thought he hated the celebrity culture and the mass media? Why is he becoming exactly what he wrote that he hated years ago? I don't want to know his sexuality. I mean yes he's probably gay...but we don't 'know' that. We shouldn't need to. I don't want to know which celebrities he's friendly with or what he does on a Sunday afternoon. It will ruin it all. I want him to be untouchable.
I just wish that when Morrissey makes a statement it's because he wants people to listen...and not because he wants people to listen and then go out and buy his greatest hits number 58. I think he needs to re-listen to his 80s records. He needs to re-read Oscar Wilde. Stop writing his autobiography....and get it together.
He's one of my favourite frontmen of all time. His words mean a lot to me. The Smiths were so great it's pointless writing about it. I just want Morrissey to forget the mass media and the press, and remember the man he used to be.
I look forward to an onslaught from the diehard (who also need to re-listen to those 4 Smiths albums and take note of the words).
Disagree with practically all of that! On re-releases, he's been obsessed with being in the charts since he was 6 years old, and that undoubtedly still drives him, even though they're clearly completely meaningless these days. There's also a good chance that he's agreed to these upcoming re-releases as part of a new album deal. If that was the only way that he could get a new deal, and by his own admission they weren't exactly queuing up, then that's fair enough imo. It’s not ideal, but he clearly still wants to release music and he's had to go along with it.
ReplyDeleteThe 'Greatest Hits' was the exact same scenario. He had to release that in order to release a new album.
I don't really get the point about him being in the press more nowadays either. He still very, very rarely does interviews, and you never, ever see him on TV apart from around releases of albums. Surely there's nothing wrong with that? Of course he wants people to buy his albums! That's perfectly normal. I don't think there's an artist or band that doesn't. When he does speak, it makes the press because he's saying something interesting/worth noting, unlike the vast majority of current artists.
And he's still gives very little away; I don't think I’ve ever heard him answer a question directly. Large parts of the media can't stand him for a reason; he doesn't play by their rules or pander to them.
I don't see anything wrong with the Autobiography either. There have been so many lies and shit written about him, and it’s his chance to put across his side of his own story. Again, that's fair enough imo.
If the music he was releasing was worthy of all the best of's i might (although probably not) be ok with it. I've never thought his solo stuff was anywhere near good enough. A couple albums plus 'you are the quarry' were good. But to be fair I am comparing it to The Smiths which is probably unfair as it's a completely different entity.
ReplyDeleteI agree that he gives very little away, which i love, and that is why i'm so against the autobiography! I don't want to know the details, I love the ambiguity of his character. I wouldn't have thought that he cared enough about what the press and people reading most of it think about him...i thought he was an individual who doesn't rely on anyone, especially not public opinion. He's hardly a Kerry Katona type character who needs to release a book in order to get her story across!!